x_atlas0
Well-Known Member
I have recently been attempting to diagnose an intermittent driveability issue with my coupe, so I was hunting for an old OBD1 tool to get some feedback from the car. My Motronic 1.3 system still has it's diagnostic port functional so those features still work. The downside is all the cheap OBD readers these days only do OBD2, which is from 1996 onwards. Most of the recommendations I could find told me to dig up an old Snap-On tool called a 'Solus' which also required specific additional dongles for both the port itself and the diagnostic information and communication protocols. These were looking to be $300 to $900 USD on ebay, so I decided to roll the bones on a no-name thing instead: the Ancel BM700.
https://www.amazon.com/ANCEL-Diagnostic-Function-Registration-Automotive/dp/B0B46HTD6G (link to tool and BMW dongle)
I snagged it off ebay for ~$60.
This tool did let me check / clear codes and see real-time (or as real time as OBD 1 is, anyway) engine operational data. For instance, it told me the car seems to think the non-existent AC compressor is on, and I imagine that's part of why it's always run so rough. I'll get digging into that soon.
Given all the issues I had finding a BMW-compatible OBD-1 tool, I wanted to share my experiences with the group in case anyone else has been hunting for such a system.